Trace-carrier.



No. 783,892. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

J. REIGHERT.

TRACE CARRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 24, 1904.

Mani Witness? M No. teases.

Patented February 28, 1905.

lilrrn STATES PATlEli JOHN RElGIIERlT, OF RAGINE, WlSCUNralN.

THAQDE-GARH1IEW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,892, dated February28, 1905.

Application filed M y 2%, 1904. Serial No. 209,532.

To (11 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that'l, Jenn Halon ERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Racine, Racine county, State of Wisconsin, haveinventedcertain new and useful improvements in Trace- Carriers; and 1 do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable oth'ers skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in buckles, and moreparticularly relates to improvements in trace-carriers; and the objectsand nature of my invention will be readily understood by those skilledin the art in the light of the following description of the constructionillustrated by the accompanying drawings.

An object of the invention is to so form the trace-carrier buckle andhook to permit easy and economical casting thereof without employing theobjectionable coring process in molding and casting, and also wherebythe buckle can be easily attached. to and removed from the strap forinstance, the hip-strap without first severing said strap or applying anew peculiarly-constructed strap, and also whereby metal cross-bars ofthe buckle will be held by the strap from injurious contact with theskin of the animal, and also whereby the hook-bill end will so forciblyengage the strap as to deflect the same inwardly toward the. animal, andthereby maintain perfect closure of the hook and prevent tail-hairs ofthe animal catching under the end of the hook-bill.

With these and other objects in view the invention consistsin certainnovel features in construction and arrangement, as more fully andparticularly pointed out and set forth hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing a hipstrap having my improved device applied thereto andsupporting the trace end. Fig. 2 is an edge view or elevation of thetracecarrier and strap therein, showing the positions the strap isforced to assume by reason of the peculiar formation of my improveddevice. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the strap andtrace-carrier. Fig. t is a top plan view of the trace-carrier detached.Fig. 5 is an edge view corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing the hookedlinger modified in shape to form a fiat-rein guide as well as atrace-carrier.

1n the drawings, a is a strap for instance, the hip-strap -and is thetrace, having the end cockeve r.

My improved device conlpris' s a rectangular buckle having a rigidhook-bill projecting from the upper end cross-bar thereof, the buckleand hook being 'forl'ned in one piece.

(Z represents the two longitudinal parallel side bars of the buckle,preferably having the flat inner faces and preferably longitudinallycurved or conveXed outwardly between their ends, about as shown, so thatthe inner longi tudinal edges of said side bars are longitudinallyconcaved and the corresponding outer edges longitudinally convened.

a is a top lower-end cross-bar between the lower ends of the side bars,and f is a top upper-end crossdia-r between the upper extremities ofsaid side bars. The flat under faces of these cross-bars are elevatedabove the lower or inner longitudinal edges of the side bars, so thatthe side edges of the strap at the ends of the side bars lit between andengage the inner faces of the side bars and the outer flat face of thestrap extends transversely across the flat inner faces of saidcross-bars. These fiat inner faces of the end cross-bars are alsopreferably transversely inclined from their inner edges downwardly andoutwardly to their outer edges to generally conform to the angle assumedby the strap in the buckle and by reason of the for mation of the partsof my device.

is an intermediate depressed cross-bar between the inner portions of theside bars and preferably located midway between the ends of thesidebars. This center depressed crossbar is preferably formed with a Hatouter face to lit transversely across the flat under :face of the strap,and said flat outer face of this cross-bar is depressed below the outeredges of the side bars, so that the inner side faces of the side barsform edge stops or guides for the strap and whereby the flat outer faceof the strap can lie approximately flush with the outer edges of theside bars. This depressed cross-'baris formed with a central rigidoutwardly-projecting stud or pin, as shown, to enter a perforation inthe strap for the purpose of removably securing the device at thedesired location on the strap.

It will be observed that the buckle is entirely open between the sidebars'and various cross-bars and is also open below the end cross-barsand above the center cross-bar, whereby the device can be easily andeconomically cast with its hook, hereinafter referred l to, without thenecessity of coring in preparing molds and in casting.

it is a curved U-shaped finger having one leg of greaterlength than theother, or what is preferably termed a hook or hook-1' shaped finger,having the inwaidly-elongated free end, said hook projecting from theouter surface of the upper cross-bar f at a point midway between theside bars. This hook or I finger projects outwardly and upwardly fromthe cross-bar and curves upwardly and inwardly, with its elongated freeend inclined l inwardly and upwardly and projecting inwardly beyond thelongitudinal plane of the buckle. The inner free end of the hook iscomparatively small for the purpose of indenting or pressing into thestrap, as hereinafter set forth.

The device can be easily applied by being ,1 slipped onto the strap at afree end thereof l and moved to the desired place on the strap, l whenthe strap is drawn taut through the l buckle, so that the stud entersthe perforation l in the strap and the strap extends under the endcross-bars and across the center cross-bar and extends upwardly beneaththe free end of the hook.

The elongated free end of the hook the strap a distance above theupper-end crossbar and forces the strap and causes the same to assumesuch a position that the metal parts of the buckle exposed at the underside thereof are held from engagement with the skin of the animal. Theshape of the device is such that the strap in tending to straighten outunder the weight or strain of attached parts will bear outwardly againstthe free end of the hook, whereby the strap will bend in beneath saidhook end and beneath thelower-end cross-bar L and will be deflected orbent outwardly between these two points, thereby re- 1 moving the inneredges of the buckle side bars and the center cross-bar from injuriousrubbing contact with the skin of the animal, l so that the inner facesof said two inward bends of the strap form the bearing-points engagingthe animal. This desired and iml portant point is gained by reason ofthe lon l l l l engages l l l l l der the hook end.

such that the cockeye or other member can gitudinal curve of the buckleside bars, but mainly and essentially by the ekmgated free end of thehook.

The hook,in connection with the strap,forms an eye or loop to receivethe cockeye of the trace or to receive lines or reins, and the forcibleengagel'nent of the hook end against the strap provides an effectiveclosure of the hook, particularly as said hook end indents or bites intothe strap forming a depression which, in connection with the shape ofthe hook, prevents the tail-hairs of the animal catching un- The shapeof the hook is be readily and easily slipped under the hook on bendingup the strap, and yet such eye or other member will be held in the hookagainst accidental displacement by reason of the peculiar shape of thedevice and the forcible impingement of the hook end against the strap.

The hook can be formed comparatively light, as it performs no functionin securing the device to the strap, and the device can be easilyadjusted on or removed from the strap, as the strap is entirely exposedboth above and below the buckle, except for the narrow cross-bars.

The device can be used on various parts of a harness-for instance, as alineguard and rein-guard as well as a trace-carrier.

In Fig. 5 I show the buckle with U-shaped or hooked finger it, somewhatelongated or modified in shape to receive a flat rein and form arein-guide as well as a trace-carrier, but to cause bending of the strapand perform the functions of the hook ii.

Yarious modifications in shape and formation might be resorted towithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as definedby the claims. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exactconstructions shown.

That I claim is- 1. A trace-carrier comprising a longitudinally andoutwardly convexed attachingbuckle having the U-sha-ped finger or hookrigid therewith and projecting longitudinally from an end thereof withits inclined elongated free end projecting inwardly beyond thelongitudinal plane of the buckle and at its free extremity formed toforcibly engage and press into the strap, whereby the metal parts of thebuckle are held against engagement with the animal.

2. A trace-carrier comprising side bars, a depressed intermediate crossbar having strapattaching means, strap-depressing top end cross-barshaving inclined under strap-engaging faces, and an approximatelyU-shaped finger rigid with and projecting from an end cross-bar andhaving its strap-engaging free end projecting inwardly beyond thelongitudinal plane of said side bars, for the purposes substantially asdescribed.

3. A buckle comprising the longitudinal side bars, end er0ss-bars, anintermediate defrom engagement with the animal, snbstaw pressedcross-bar having a strap-attaching tially as described. IO stud, and anapproximately ltd-shaped linger l In testimony whereof 1ailixmysignaturein projecting longitudinally from an end er0sspresence of two witnesses.bar with its free end projected inwardly l) i JOHN RIDIOHER'l. yond thelongitudinal plane of said side bars W itnessee: and formed to forciblyengage and depress the CHARLES R. lARLENTER, strap inwardly; whereby thebuckle is held I). ll. JONES.

